Snoop Dogg charged with carrying weapon
Rapper Snoop Dogg has been charged with carrying a dangerous weapon – an illegal collapsible baton – at John Wayne International Airport in Santa Ana, California.
If convicted, the 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, could be sentenced to three years in prison.
A warrant, with bail set at $150,000 (€117,430), was issued for his arrest, Orange County prosecutors said.
“These charges are bogus. The DA knows that, Snoop knows that. If this goes to trial, we will win,” the rapper’s Century City lawyer Donald Etra said.
On September 27 this year, the star arrived at John Wayne Airport with two bodyguards to catch a flight to San Francisco, investigators said.
Security officers scanning his carry-on luggage spotted a long object in his computer bag and asked to search inside, where a 20in collapsible baton was found, prosecutors said. The baton collapses to 8in long.
Deputy district attorney Andre Manssourian said the weapon was dangerous and illegal.
The rapper told police the baton was a prop for a movie, sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino said.
On October 26, the rapper was arrested at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank by police investigating drug and gun possession. He posted bail of $35,000 (€27,400) bail and was ordered to appear in court on December 12.
“There was no basis for this arrest,” Etra said earlier. “We believe that once this is cleared up, all charges will be dismissed.”
The rapper has had problems at airports before.
In May, he accepted responsibility for using “threatening words or behaviour” following a brawl in April at Heathrow airport in London.
Broadus and five other men were arrested after a brawl broke out when some members of the rapper’s party were denied entry to British Airways’ first-class lounge.
Seven officers received minor injuries – mainly cuts and bruises – and one suffered a fracture to the hand.
BA said it had banned the rapper from future travel on the airline.
The rapper was convicted in 1990 of cocaine possession and was charged with gun possession after being stopped in 1993 in a vehicle. He pleaded guilty in exchange for three years’ probation and a promise to make anti-violence public service announcements.
He was acquitted of murder in 1996 following the death of an alleged street gang member killed by gunfire from the vehicle he was travelling in.
